Carson City Symphony celebrates statehood with Nevada 150 concert

The Carson City Symphony, directed by David Bugli, will open its 31st season at 4 p.m. Oct. 26 with A Nevada 150 Concert in the Carson City Community Center’s Bob Boldrick Theater, 851 E. William St.

The concert includes the Carson City Symphony Chorus directed by Michael Langham and featured guest artists McAvoy Layne as Mark Twain, poet Shaun Griffin, Native American singer Christina Thomas, and readers Rita Geil and Christina Van Geel.

The program includes “A Land of Sage and Sun” by Idaho composer Jim Cockey, “State of Metamorphosis” written in 1989 by Bugli in honor of the state’s 125th anniversary, “Nevada Bagatelles” by Stephen Rosenhaus, “Home Means Nevada” by Bertha Raffetto, arranged for chorus and orchestra by Bugli, and a choral work, “This Marriage,” by native Nevadan Eric Whitacre.

Musical selections will be accompanied by projected images of Nevada by photographers from throughout the state.

Pre-show entertainment by Tom and Mary Kay Aufrance will start in the lobby at 3 p.m., a free concert preview in the Sierra Room will be at 3:15 p.m., and a dinner reception will follow the concert at Red’s Old 395 Grill, 1055 S. Carson St. The preview will include discussions with Langham and guest artists.

Tickets cost $15 general admission; $12 for seniors, students, and Symphony Association members. Admission is free for children 16 and under.

Tickets are on sale at Play Your Own Music in the Carson Mall, online at CCSymphony.com, or at the door. Season tickets at discounted prices are available from the Symphony at 775-883-4154.

For reception reservations, which are required in advance, call the Symphony at 775-883-4154.

Carson City Symphony is a community orchestra of about 60 players who perform music from the 15th to 21st centuries. The 2014-15 concert season is supported with public funding through the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Pre-concert talks are funded in part by a grant from Nevada Humanities.

This performance is part of World Music Days, an annual global event affirming the ideals of tolerance, friendship, and shared humanity, inspired by the life and work of journalist and musician Daniel Pearl.